Review: Last Resort: A Way Of Life (Skinhead Anthems) & The Best Of

Somewhere between The Shaggs and Spinal Tap lingers Last Resort, a first wave UK Oi band who managed to do most things wrong and still be popular. They grew musically as time passed (so did The Shaggs) but I'd say they have to be the worst Oi band to have a greatest hits collection. They're probably still around, releasing their last album in April, 2005.

In a 2003 interview, Singer Roi Pearce says "We have all learnt a lot musically over the past 20 years or so. So expect improved timing, phasing and pitching." The timing and phrasing are horrendous on their 1982 debut A Way Of Life, with lyrics so D.U.M.B. there should be laws against rhyming "free & society", "proud & crowd" and "fight & right". Their most famous song is "The Warriors", based on the film, and the lyrics compare Skinheads to a pride of lions. The Last Resort wrote songs for the dumbest and most violent of the non-racist skins. They're anthems of idiot pride with all the cleverness and insight of a Tom Green movie.

The Best Of is a bit better because the band either learned to play a bit better or they switched a member or four. "Soul Boys", "Rose Of England" and "Red, White and Blue" are the only tracks I can recommend to people who already like Oi. All others should avoid this like a Tom Green movie.

Oi kingpin Gary Bushell wrote: The Last Resort were a skinhead band from South London via Herne Bay, Kent, based around the Last Resort shop in Petticoat Lane, East London and financed by the shop’s owner Michael French. They too saw Oi as being bigger that skins. “Oi is uniting punks, skins and everyone,” growler Millwall Roi told Sounds in their first interview. “Now we’ve just gotta get away from football.”